Chad Cooper's archive

Jamie Barclay’s exhibition “Pearl” will be on display at High Street Gallery on Friday, Feb. 12, and a reception will be held from 7-10 p.m. at the gallery inside the Victoria House at 2110 Victoria St. in Beaumont. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. The artwork will be for sale by the artist.

The Orange Rotary Club and Lutcher Theater are presenting a performance by Francesco Attesti and Matteo Galli from Italy on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 at the Lutcher Theater in Orange. Tickets are $25 or $15 (students) and can be purchased online at lutcher.org or by phone at (409) 886-5535.

The Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music at Lamar University will present a guest artist concert featuring the jazz duo of pianist Joe LoCascio and saxophonist Woody Witt on Wednesday, Feb. 17, in the Rothwell Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Classic Movie Night continues with the 1952 musical comedy Singin’ in the Rain on Friday, Feb. 12, at the historic Jefferson Theatre in downtown Beaumont. Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, Singin’ in the Rain is ranked by the American Film Institute as the greatest musical movie of all time, and it was among the first 25 films chosen for preservation by the National Film Registry.

You can’t ask for better gumbo weather. It’s the perfect time for the 22nd annual Girls’ Haven Gumbo Festival, set for Saturday, Feb. 20, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., once again held in the Parkdale Mall parking lot.

There will be plenty of activities for the kids, including a special performance by the one and only Sonny “The Bird Man,” an expanded kids area including carnival games, bounce houses and much more.

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.